“This is an exciting, big step in our lives, and the whole thing was very meaningful,” the Counting On star, 21, tells Us Weekly exclusively of how he popped the question. “The place where I proposed to Lauren is the exact spot where her parents were engaged. There’s a lot of family history on this property, making it a special place for Lauren.”

Josiah Duggar and Lauren SwansonTLC

Swanson, 18, tells Us, “I’m really excited to be getting married to Josiah. Everything about the engagement was such a special moment for me. I’m especially looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him!”

The pair have been friends for years, and now they’re looking forward to becoming one big, happy family.

“It’s going to be neat to see two great families come together in this union,” Duggar tells Us. “It’ll take a lot of planning since we have big families on both sides, but we’re very excited to get started and so thankful for how God has brought our lives together.”

Swanson revealed in a video message on the Duggar family’s website in January that she was “totally shocked” when the TLC personality asked her to start a courtship. She noted at the time that while they were still “learning about each other,” they were “putting God first and ourselves second.”